Frank Lampard has delivered his verdict on Everton's transfer business and offered fresh insight into the club's hunt for a new forward during the summer.
The window was the first time Lampard and Kevin Thewell had been able to work together to help reshape their side in a more favourable image, and that meant a lot of business had to take place. With the club's financial situation still far from perfect, that meant a number of outgoings had to take place to clear money from the wage bill.
However, the Blues still managed to bring in eight new players, with both Idrissa Gueye and James Garner arriving on deadline day. And when asked about the business his side conducted, Lampard admitted he was happy with the signings the Blues have made.
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He said: “I’m very pleased - and pleased the window has shut. It is something that has run a long way into the season and probably complicated it slightly for a lot of clubs.
“But no, as a club, we were very strategic to the way we approached it from a long-time ago, and when I say that I mean a club that is joined up from the owner, to the chairman, to the board, to myself and Kevin Thelwell.
“What did we want to improve? And how could we do that in the right way and hopefully that reflects in the squad now. When I look at the squad, I'm happy. Now it's time to get our heads down and work.”
Lampard also revealed that fellow new signing Neal Maupay, who was unable to be registered for the 1-1 draw at Leeds United last time out due to Premier League requirements, will be in the squad for tomorrow’s Merseyside derby, while Dominic Calver-Lewin is set to return to training next week.
“Well, we have got Dominic Calvert-Lewin coming back into training next week and we have got Neal Maupay, who we have brought in and hasn’t played a game yet.”
The Everton boss was also pushed on whether he felt his side were a forward light, with some fans raising concerns that the Blues needed to add more attacking options to their squad ahead of Thursday’s 11pm deadline.
But Lampard responded to the question by saying: “We have got Salomon Rondon as a centre-forward and we have got our wingers, who give us different options on both sides and Alex Iwobi can play in any position on the pitch.
“But I think we have to be careful here to bring in someone for the sake of bringing them in, and now we have a short period before the window opens again because of the World Cup.
“I am very happy with what we have got and the squad is strong and as I say, Dominic is back next week.
“I don’t think there are too many teams in the Premier League who tend to play one up front as a reference who tend to stack up strikers. It is not easy to manage at the same time.
“But at the same time we are always looking at how we can improve and how it will improve us on a broad scale. Is the player going to develop with us? Or make an instinct impact with us now. So we took a very considered view on it and I am happy.”
Before he continued: “I think people are drawn to the striker situation and as I said just then, I didn’t have Dominic a lot last season, so Dominic for me feels like a new signing as well.
“When I and we look at how we can improve the team we hopefully won’t be in the position we were in last year and moving forward we can get better and better.
“To isolate and just look at the striker for us wasn’t the way to look at it. It was how can we strengthen the team throughout.
“ Richarlison leaving the club, he was a big player for us at the top end of the pitch, lets just look at that and try and replace that, we have to look at the collective.
“So it was important for us to try to strengthen throughout. Games can be one or lost defensively, at the back of the pitch, in the middle of the pitch.
“I’m very happy and I’ve got lots of options up front. Too many options can leave people sitting and not playing and that is not great for the squad either.”
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